"Well, I'll give it up; but I'd like to know how much corn you raise
in the whole State of Illinois."

"Our average production," said Percy, "is about equal to the total
production of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, and Mississippi."

"Eighteen of us!" exclaimed Mr. Robbins, who had counted on his
fingers from New York to Mississippi. "And you come to Rhode Island
to learn how to raise corn?"

"Yes, I came to learn how you raise more than thirty-five bushels of
corn per acre as an average for New England, while we raise less
than thirty-five bushels as an average in Illinois, and while
Georgia, a larger State than Illinois, raises only eleven bushels
per acre as a ten year average. Illinois is a new State, but I call
to mind that Roger Williams settled in Rhode Island in 1636 and that
he was joined by many others coming not only from Massachusetts but
also from other sections. I assume that much of the land in Rhode
Island has been farmed for 250 years, and the fact that you are
still producing more than thirty bushels of corn per acre, as an
average, is, it seems to me, a fact of great significance. I suppose
you use all the manure you can make from the crops you raise and
perhaps use some commercial fertilizer also. I should like to know
what yield of corn you produce without any manure or fertilizer?"

"We don't produce any," said Mr. Robbins; "at least we know we